Isaiah 40:1-17

Your God says, “Comfort, comfort my people. Speak kindly to the people of Jerusalem and tell them that their time of service is finished, that they have paid for their sins, that the LORD has punished Jerusalem twice for every sin they did.” This is the voice of one who calls out: “Prepare in the desert the way for the LORD. Make a straight road in the dry lands for our God. Every valley should be raised up, and every mountain and hill should be made flat. The rough ground should be made level, and the rugged ground should be made smooth. Then the glory of the LORD will be shown, and all people together will see it. The LORD himself said these things.” A voice says, “Cry out!” Then I said, “What shall I cry out?” “Say all people are like the grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field. The grass dies and the flowers fall when the breath of the LORD blows on them. Surely the people are like grass. The grass dies and the flowers fall, but the word of our God will live forever.” Jerusalem, you have good news to tell. Go up on a high mountain. Jerusalem, you have good news to tell. Shout out loud the good news. Shout it out and don’t be afraid. Say to the towns of Judah, “Here is your God.” Look, the Lord GOD is coming with power to rule all the people. Look, he will bring reward for his people; he will have their payment with him. He takes care of his people like a shepherd. He gathers them like lambs in his arms and carries them close to him. He gently leads the mothers of the lambs. Who has measured the oceans in the palm of his hand? Who has used his hand to measure the sky? Who has used a bowl to measure all the dust of the earth and scales to weigh the mountains and hills? Who has known the mind of the LORD or been able to give him advice? Whom did he ask for help? Who taught him the right way? Who taught him knowledge and showed him the way to understanding? The nations are like one small drop in a bucket; they are no more than the dust on his measuring scales. To him the islands are no more than fine dust on his scales. All the trees in Lebanon are not enough for the altar fires, and all the animals in Lebanon are not enough for burnt offerings. Compared to the LORD all the nations are worth nothing; to him they are less than nothing.